ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. ARBER-ZWIESEL, Germany – Thousands of fans were proud to be German Sunday in Arber-Zwiesel when Viktoria Rebensburg nailed the win in the women’s World Cup giant slalom.

The 21-year-old Olympic gold medalist put down an early lead when the sun miraculously came out and the fog lifted for the postponed race on a shortened course in the Bavarian forest. Racing through the first run 0.74 seconds ahead of World Cup GS leader Tessa Worley, Rebensburg pulled through for the win with a combined time of 1:36.96.

Capitalizing on the very turny second run course set by her coach, Italian Federica Brignone notched the best race of her World Cup career, finishing second, 0.53 seconds behind Rebensburg.

Kathrin Zettel, who has been fighting with hip pain since last spring, posted the first podium of her season Sunday, taking third, 0.89 seconds back.

Worley, who has won the other three giant slalom races this season, still leads the World Cup GS standings, though with only 358 points over Rebensburg’s 335. She, like so many other racers in the second run, lost a lot of speed on the bottom of the course and ended up 10th.

“At the start I was nervous today because I knew that Tessa would ski good the second run, she’s always strong second run,” said Rebensburg, who also won the season opening GS in Soelden. “I had to push, I had to give everything. In the last part I had a mistake and I didn’t think that it would work out …”

Following the race – the first run of which took place in the sun and the second in the shade after several days of fog and wind – the din of cowbells and happy cheers from the mostly German crowd were deafening, providing what could well be a preview for the 2011 world alpine ski championships, which kick off Monday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. But Rebensburg said she didn’t think of Sunday’s race as a sneak peek of what is to come in Garmisch.

“I’m just so happy that I won, I don’t think about the world champs,” she said. “I just tried to ski good this time for two runs, to be really constant in skiing, and I did it so I’m really happy now.”

Brignone’s only other World Cup podium came last year in the Aspen GS. She was fifth in Aspen this season but otherwise hadn’t finished top 10 until Sunday. After a first run plagued by mistakes and putting her more than a second and a half off the pace, the Italian charged the second run giving it all she had.

“In the first run I did only mistakes,” Brignone said. “I said, ‘[this] is my slope, it’s icy and yes, I want to be in the top three.’ After the first run, I said, ‘Oh shit. I’m never going to be on the podium.’ But really ... anything is possible.”

Zettel, fifth after the first run, said that she has tried not to think of results too much this season but was very pleased to be back in the top three.

“You just focus on the race and you have to do your best. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the podium. It’s wonderful,” she said.

Worley, who has a trio of giant slalom victories this season – in Aspen, St. Moritz and Semmering – wasn’t very happy with her second run, saying that conditions were good but she just could not find the fast line.

“I didn’t manage to do the job today, so I’m a little disappointed,” she said, adding that she still feels strong going into the world championships. “I think we’ll have time to get in good preparation and yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”

France’s Anemone Marmottan tied her top World Cup career result in fourth, finishing at the same time as Elisabeth Goergl, 0.97 seconds off the winning pace. Andrea Fischbacher landed in sixth, 1.08 seconds back and Tanja Poutianen, who was sitting in third after the first run, finished seventh, 1.32 seconds back. Italian Irene Curtoni had the best race of her life Sunday, standing under the leader’s board for nearly the whole race and finishing eighth, 1.37 seconds back. Canada’s Marie-Pier Prefontaine also posted the first top 10 of her World Cup career, finishing ninth, 1.41 seconds back.

Maria Riesch was 11th Sunday, slightly increasing her lead over Lindsey Vonn in the overall World Cup standings (1256 points to Vonn’s 1100). Vonn, who sustained a concussion in training last week, skipped Friday’s slalom and said she still felt “confused and not 100 percent right,” during Sunday’s race. She tied Friday’s slalom winner Marlies Schild for 18th place.

A handful of racers opted out of this weekend's World Cup events in Arber-Zwiesel in order to prepare, rest up and get healthy for the world championships.

FISalpine.com
Sunday 6 February 2011